Leslie Mugaas

Leslie Lynn (Jones) Mugaas was born July 26, 1942, in Butte, MT, to Robert Leslie Jones, and Louise (Harvey) Jones. After a short battle with Uterine Cancer, Lynn died at her home in Bozeman, MT, September 22, 2022. Lynn grew up on the family cattle ranch near Wise River, MT. She attended Kindergarten in Dillon, MT, but completed grades 1 through 8 at the Wise River school. She attended Beaverhead County High School in Dillon, graduating in 1960. She was active in several clubs, attended Girls State, and in her Senior year she was Harvest Ball Queen, and Vice President of her class. She attended Montana State University, Missoula, Montana (now the University of Montana). She graduated in 1964 with a B.S. degree and majors in Home Economics, and Biology education. She was a member of Tanan of Spur, a national sophomore women’s service honorary, the Home Economics Club, and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. In 1964-65, she taught Home Economics and Biology at Toole County High School, Sunburst, Montana. In March 1965, she married John N. Mugaas, and they have lived in Missoula, MT, Moorhead, MN, Memphis, TN, Lewisburg, WV, and for the last 10 years, Bozeman, MT. In Missoula she worked in the Admissions office, and at the Home Economics Department’s Home Living Center. In Memphis she completed a certificate in architectural drafting and worked for an architectural Firm. In Lewisburg she was employed by West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as a laboratory supervisor and helped teach histology and pathology labs, assisted at autopsies, prepared biopsy specimens for analysis by pathologists, and assisted faculty members with their research. Lynn and John lived in Lewisburg, WV, for 33 years. She was the first person in West Virginia to become a fully certified Master Naturalist, participated annually in Christmas Bird Counts, helped conduct a five-year long, state-wide, dragonfly and damselfly survey. assisted the DNR in conducting mammal surveys in the Cranberry Glades Wilderness, and for several years monitored a set of twelve Saw-whet Owl nest boxes. She also loved hiking, geocaching, and hanging out with her many friends at the weekly Sherry Club gatherings. In Bozeman she has been active in the Sacajawea Audubon Society, Gallatin Watershed Council, and Bozeman Senior Center where she did volunteer work and met weekly with her Mahjong group. For three of her years in Bozeman, she participated in a citizen science project in Yellowstone National Park. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, John N. Mugaas, children, Marina N. Martin (Alan), Charles Town, WV, J. Peter Mugaas, Lewisburg, WV, Aaron T. Mugaas (Julie Kleine), Bozeman, MT., Grandchildren, Wylie, Hayes, and Raina Mugaas, Bozeman, MT, sister, Retha (Jones) Sigman, Dillon, MT, sister-in-law, Liz (Pilling) Jones, Wise River, MT, nephews, Russell Sigman (Wanda), Dillon, MT, Keith Jones (Wendy), Belleview, ID, nieces, Yvonne Jones, Wise River, MT, Jodi Pauley, Deer Lodge, MT, Terry Cain (Tom), Port Orchard, WA, and Dee Dee Williams (Ted), Burley, WA. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Connie Renee Mugaas, parents, Robert Leslie and Louise (Harvey) Jones, brother, Donald Jones, nephew, Karl Jones, brother-in-law, Loren Sigman, and aunt, Gwyneth (Jones) Elwood. Green burial will take place at Mountain View Cemetery, Dillon, Montana, at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Sacajawea Audubon Society, Bozeman, MT, Gallatin Watershed Council, Bozeman, MT, or Beaverhead Search and Rescue, Dillon, MT.